Criminals With Determination
by wonder-mind
Summary: Stagnation can often stop people right in their tracks, making them lose focus on their goals. For Hun, it only causes the start of something new.
1. Stagnation

**Howdy everyone! I'm back again, this time with a new story. And it's a** _ **Pokemon**_ **one, my absolute favorite show! I always wanted to write a** _ **Pokemon**_ **fic, but was never sure what to do. I have one other idea, but that's gonna be for a small surprise later. For now, there's this idea, that came to me when I was watching YouTube. So here it is!**

 **[About this fic** **: For this story, I will be exploring/expanding the character of Hun, who is a member of Team Rocket and who appeared in** _ **Pokemon Chronicles: The Legend of Thunder**_ **, alongside another member called Attila. This duo has always interested me since they were the more serious agents that ever appeared in the show, and especially the ever serious Hun. Now I know there are some issues regarding Hun's gender (in the original Japanese, he is male, while the English dub has Hun with a female voice actress). For this story, I'm going to go with Hun being female, mainly because I grew up with the English dub and am therefore more familiar/comfortable with it; plus, I fucking love Veronica Taylor's interpretation of Hun in the dub.**

 **One more thing, this story is** _ **slightly**_ **AU. I say this because I'm going to be mixing in events from the games, anime, and even a teeny bit of the** _ **Pokemon Adventures**_ **manga. But don't worry, it will still be understandable, especially since Hun is a minor character and therefore, there's not much on her to begin with. Basically we'll be exploring her past, her time with Team Rocket and relationship with Attila, and other events leading up to her debut/only appearance in the anime]**

 **So yeah, that's pretty much it. Please enjoy, review, and let me know what you think! As usual, I apologize in advance for any mistakes~**

 _ **~~Disclaimer: If I owned Pokemon, I wouldn't be here, so it should go without saying that I own nothing except some OCs that will be appearing here and there ~~**_

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Stagnation.

The enemy of all those who wish to move forward in their lives.

People claim that there's a point in everyone's life where they hit a stagnant point, a point in their lives where they don't know what to do or where they want to go in life.

For Hun, this was the case. The stagnant point came to her when she was in her first year of university.

At first, she was one of many. All around her were students who were lost with what to do, what to study. But eventually they settled on a path. Doctors, engineers, professors… Every career one could think of was being pursued.

And still Hun had no idea what job she would pursue. All careers interested her, but none of them filled her with the _passion_ she knew was necessary for satiated success. Already she had spent one year away from her studies, working in a small boutique in Ecruteak City under the guise of finding herself. In the end, the only thing she found were irritating customers, bothersome kids, and a minimum wage check.

Things weren't looking any better than they were when she had graduated high school, so she registered at the Goldenrod University as a computer studies major and left it at that. But it was only after five weeks of staring at computer screens during classes, did she suddenly realize what was happening to her.

She was planted still, with nothing to look back on and nothing to look forward to.

Everything suddenly seemed to be moving in fast-forward, passing by her like a speeding bullet train while she could only stand back and watch.

Stagnation really was a bitch.

•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•

The cafeteria was filled with loud noises, from girls gossiping to boys arguing about why a hot dog shouldn't cost 300 P. Others were too busy focused on their laptops, reading books, or scribbling their homework in hopes of finishing it on time.

As usual, Hun was sitting alone. Her bag situated in the seat next to her, she settled to eating a simple lunch consisting of chips and diet soda. Her stomach growled in hunger, but she wasn't looking to eat a big lunch. She was already feeling down from the test she had just taken in computer analysis (and probably failed). _I should have studied more_ , she thought in frustration, crinkling the bag in her hands.

Hun had no doubt in her intelligence and knowledge. She had always gotten straight A's in high school, yet she found herself struggling with the sudden change in pace that came with college life. She knew that if she didn't get herself together and focused, she could very well kiss any hope of scholarships goodbye.

Lack of motivation threatened to overtake Hun each day, and she didn't know how much longer she could fight against it. Each day she hoped _something_ would happen. Each day nothing did.

Until the day she decided to play hookey and skip a history class. That day, she chose a path in life, not knowing where it would take her, but knowing it would give her life meaning.

•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•

The library was a quiet place to escape to when one needed to relax and get away from the rush outside.

Or just to skip, Hun thought as she slipped inside the large building. History was the last thing on her mind that day, and she figured that skipping one class wouldn't hurt her. _I deserve this break_ , were her thoughts as she sat down at an empty table with a wide window overlooking the back of the campus.

The wind blowing gently through the grassy tree tops, the sun greeting students with its warm rays, birds chirping and flitting to and fro…

Hun had seen it all a thousand times. And each time was just as stale as the previous.

Placing her head in her hands, she thought thoroughly on what to do next. Skipping history gave her approximately an hour to rest, but then she had a computer programming course. It wasn't the most exciting class, but Hun enjoyed it. Which is why she now found herself debating on whether or not to attend.

Skipping classes wasn't like her; she usually went to class even if her mind was fighting against it. So this was something new to her.

"Excuse me?"

The voice snapped Hun out of her thoughts. Looking up, she saw an attractive looking young man. He gave her a smile. "May I sit with you? All the other seats are taken."

"Oh. Yeah, sure, of course." Carefully Hun moved her bag to the floor, not caring if it got dirty. Moving her seat as close to the wall as possible, there was just enough room for the young man to sit down and spare himself some personal space.

"Thank you." He slid in the chair and pulled out some books. Through the corner of her eye Hun could see him working on something similar to algebra. He suddenly turned to glance at her, and Hun felt her cheeks burn. She quickly pulled some books out of her own bag (not math, just some reading to do), and proceeded to write random notes in an attempt to look hard at work.

For a few minutes there was nothing but silence between them. Hun was even beginning to forget there was someone next to her when she heard a sudden hiss, " _Shit!_ "

She quickly looked up, only to see the man wiping desperately at his thin sweater, which was now sporting some large coffee stains. He noticed Hun staring at him, and smiled at her sheepishly. "Sorry if I interrupted you. I'm a bit clumsy."

"I have some napkins." Hun dug around in one of her bag's pockets. "Here."

"Thanks." Despite the man wiping at his clothes, the coffee still continued to soak through. After a moment of hesitation, he carefully removed his sweater, and tossed it to the ground.

Had this been a normal man, Hun wouldn't have even looked twice at him. Spilling coffee on one's clothes sucked, but it wasn't the end of the world. However, what intrigued her about this man wasn't his pitiful situation.

What caught Hun's attention was the "R" tattoo that he had on his upper arm. It was a simple, block letter that was colored in blood red, but there was something… _intimidating_ about it.

The blood red "R" continued to stare up at her until the man noticed. He crossed his arms so his hand covered the tattoo.

But Hun wasn't willing to let it go just yet. She was suddenly very intrigued by this man. So she asked softly, "What's that R tattoo you have?"

And he hesitated, but said a response, and before she knew it, Hun was suddenly on her way to becoming a Team Rocket member.

•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•

Things were suddenly happening fast. _Too_ fast, for Hun's liking. One minute she was at the library, the next, she was at the bus stop, waiting with the same young man who had spilled coffee all over himself. Who she knew now was named Marcel.

"So you're part of Team Rocket?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Marcel nodded. "Yeah. I officially joined about 3 months ago."

Hun handed him the bottle of water he had asked for, while she sipped on her own ice coffee.

Team Rocket.

Hun had heard of them a few times, but she knew it was still relatively a new team. However, she had never actually met a member before. She still understood that Team Rocket wasn't exactly know for their gentleness though. Stealing Pokemon and wrecking havoc all over the Kanto region were just two things associated with them. Whether or not they were currently in the Johto region was unknown to her, though.

"So then why are you here?" _This_ was an actual question. Hun was definitely curious what a member of Team Rocket was doing in a _university_.

"I'm a genius when it comes to programming." Marcel's voice held no hint of humility. His face even took on a look of pure pride. "One of the people in charge of my unit noticed. They're paying for my education so I can major in computer programming and then do some work for them."

 _Interesting._ "Well, isn't that nice." Hun paused and stared at the buses that kept passing by them. She didn't know which bus Marcel was planning to take, but she figured she only had a few minutes to get as much information regarding Team Rocket as she could. "So what does Team Rocket do?"

"We do all sorts of things." Marcel brightened. "It's seriously a great place to grow and learn about Pokemon. Plus, there's a lot of financial opportunities."

Now _that_ interested Hun. She didn't consider herself greedy, but any opportunity where she made money was definitely worth a look. Still… "What's the catch?"

"None, that I know of." Marcel swallowed the last of his water before tossing the empty bottle into a nearby trash can. "There are different units, like I said. There's field work, computer work, infiltration, profit expansion… The possibilities are endless, but it really depends on what you can do. The boss places you personally."

"I'm interested." The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them. "How do I join?"

"Umm…" Marcel shifted around on his feet uneasily. "You can't just straight-up join. Not exactly anyway."

Hun blinked. "What do you mean?"

"If you want to join, you have to go through the Team Rocket Academy. Once you graduate, you get placed in a unit." Marcel smiled, that same smile that Hun was starting to get used to. "It's really not that bad. And it doesn't take that long."

Hun thought for a moment. The university where she was currently at wasn't satisfying her. Nothing seemed to be going her way or making her feel useful. Perhaps what she needed was a change of pace, a change of environment. "Alright. How do I get there?"

"I'm glad you're interested!" Marcel carefully balanced his book bag on his hip, digging through the mess of papers inside. Finally he pulled out a small envelope. He shoved it at Hun as he tried to steady himself again. "Read through that. All the information you want is in there. Probably," he added under his breath. Tossing his bag over his shoulder, he gave her a quick wave as he moved towards a stopped bus. "Maybe I'll see you again sometime!"

Hun waved absentmindedly, her other hand gripping the envelope. Things really were moving too fast. And she knew that they wouldn't slow down, not yet.

If Hun wanted to pursue the path she thought she wanted, then she had a feeling things were only gonna go even faster, leaving her with little time to think and no time to get her thoughts straight.

But it was the only way she knew she could cure her stagnation with.

And Hun would take it.

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 **So there's the first chapter! I have so many ideas on where I want to go with this, but alas, I need to really get myself organized first. In any case, please, let me know what you guys think! If there are any mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know.**

 **Once again, this is a fic where I will be exploring a lot of Hun's background, and possibly Team Rocket in general, so I hope you are all looking forward to it!**

 **Thanks so much for reading~**

 **ƹӝʒ**


	2. Plan

**Hello everyone! I'm back with yet another chapter! I hope this isn't too slow of a start (or if it's going too quick for that matter), but we're building up to the action! In any case, in this chapter we get to see Hun planning with Marcel (an OC of mine btw). I ended up having too much fun writing it, and therefore had to edit it down. Some parts of it will be seen next chapter.**

 **I hope you're all enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it! I agree that most Rocket fic are centered around Jessie and James, and while I do love them, other agents deserve some love too! So thanks so much for supporting this idea ^.^**

 **Also, thanks so much to Hybrid of Fate for the advice! Much love to you! 3**

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 _Unleash your talents! Find your calling in life! Learn valuable skills! Explore the unknown! Join Team Rocket_ _TODAY_ _!_

The brochure certainly wasn't like the ones Hun had acquired back in high school, those that spoke of hopeful universities and their diversity of classes.

The Team Rocket brochure was more bold. Plain, yet elegant. It was certainly something to look at. The main colors were red, black, and white, with the writing in bold black letters, forcing one's eyes to scan every detail. The inside showed simple pictures, those of a cafeteria, dorms, and even a classroom. The actual location of the academy seemed rather isolated, and that made Hun slightly nervous. Should she even trust this? There was no telling what really went on inside.

"Hun! It's dinnertime!" The sound of feet stomping up the stairs tore Hun away from her thoughts. She quickly hid the brochure in between the pages of a random notebook, just in time. Her younger sister, Ella, burst through the door. "Come on already! Mom said she won't set the food until you come down."

"I heard you the first time," Hun replied dryly. "Just give me a minute." She ignored Ella's whining as she carefully moved her notebooks into a neat stack. She placed a bookmark in the textbook she had been reading (homework suddenly seemed to have lost its value) before trudging down the stairs to the kitchen.

Goldenrod University was pretty close to her home, so Hun had opted to stay and live at home rather than spend extra money on dorms and meals. It meant a lot to her that her mother was letting her stay with her and Ella, who was still just a sophomore in high school, instead of chasing her to go her independent way like most parents tended to do with their college-aged kids. Which only made Hun feel even worse regarding her lack of motivation with her studies.

"Alright Mom, Hun's here. We can get started now!" Ella plopped herself down onto a chair, eagerly grabbing at the plate already in front of her. Hun slid into a chair next to her. The two sisters were as different as could be, with Hun being more quiet and reserved, and Ella being more loud and outgoing. Their only similarities were their light hair and gray eyes.

"You're as impatient as ever." Their mother, Sofia, smiled at her youngest daughter. "The food isn't going anywhere and you're not gonna starve dear, so try to take it easy."

"But _Mom_! You know I don't have a lunch period this semester. I'm literally starving by the time I come home."

"I know, but that's also why I suggested you take a small snack that you can eat in class," Sofia pointed out. Ella simply sighed before she took her knife and began cutting into her steaming roast duck.

Hun stifled a laugh. Leave it to Ella to exaggerate and make a simple situation sound like it was the end of the world.

Dinner slowly played out as usual. Only this time, Hun was too busy thinking about Team Rocket to add anything to the conversation her mother and sister were busy having. She knew she was able to get away with it though. She was the quiet one after all.

"So I think Trevor should buzz off," Ella was saying. Trevor was her ex-boyfriend, who apparently was trying to get her to go out with him again. She, on the other hand, was enjoying being single for a change. "I think he should go after Kimberly. She'd make a good couple with him."

"You should talk to Trevor about how you're feeling," Sofia advised. "I'm sure all you're doing is just rejecting him, and if you keep that up, he'll just keep trying to win you back. You need to stand…"

Hun tuned the conversation out. She had bigger things to worry about. Like whether or not she should actually pursue a job with Team Rocket. Her instincts were screaming at her to be cautious, but she was still curious. And that could potentially be a bad thing.

After all, curiosity killed the cat.

•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•

 _Join Team Rocket_ _TODAY_ _!_

The words were leaping out at Hun, and no matter what she did or tried to think about, they were always invading her thoughts. Team Rocket was a growing force, so she knew it would be best to join soon rather than later. Meaning, she had to make a decision _fast and now._

She closed her eyes. She was planted still. She had no idea what she wanted to do. Or where she wanted to go in life. University wasn't what she expected it to be. Her studies weren't looking too great. If she kept this up, she would probably be stuck in a loop of never-ending stagnation.

This wasn't what Hun wanted.

A new opportunity had arisen in front of her. Team Rocket perhaps held the answers she so desperately sought.

So she would take it.

She made her decision.

She decided she would join Team Rocket.

The problem was, _how_.

Classes were already in session at Goldenrod University, and Hun didn't think she could just drop off the face of the earth to go join some random group she had just heard about.

Or… could she?

•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•

"Thank you. I'm wondering if _Algebra And Beyond_ is available?"

"One moment please."

"Shh! Please keep it down."

Voices were echoing all around Hun. She, however, was busy focusing on her own private mission– to find Marcel again.

In order to do that, she had ventured out to the library again. And in order to do _that_ , she was skipping her history class again.

 _It doesn't matter_ , Hun thought impatiently. She checked the wooden clock perched above the receptionist desk. Almost noon. Marcel would be coming soon, hopefully. Hun had placed herself near the front entrance, where she would undoubtedly seen him if he entered.

Nearly half an hour passed, and Hun was beginning to have second thoughts. Was this perhaps a sign that Team Rocket wasn't the path for her? Perhaps she was being too overzealous in thinking she could just up and leave her old life behind? Perhaps Team Rocket weren't who they seemed to be? So many thoughts ran through her mind, and each one reflected Hun's uneasiness.

She carefully slipped her book bag over her shoulder and began inching towards the door. She wouldn't be able to make it to her history class in time, but she could sneak away to the cafeteria and wait for her next one. Or maybe she could just head on home and pretend this day never happened. She would have a lot of work to do in order to catch up on her missed assignments, not to mention the excuses she would have to come up with to get away with her absences, but it was manageable.

"Hi Hun! I had a feeling we would meet again."

 _Dammit_. She instantly recognized the voice. "Hi Marcel," she greeted him, sounding a little too enthusiastically than she had intended to.

The young man smiled. "So what are you doing? You seem to be waiting for someone."

It suddenly occurred to her just how desperate she seemed. Standing by the door like a stalker… It wasn't her proudest moment, but then again, pride hadn't gotten her anywhere so far.

Hun cleared her throat. "Yes, actually, I was waiting for you."

Marcel startled. "Me?" He asked, pointing to himself quizzingly. "Why?"

"I just need your help with some things." Hun gestured towards the back tables of the library, the same place where their fated meeting had occurred just two days prior. "Want to sit?"

Marcel's face took on a serious look that Hun wasn't used to. She hadn't been exposed to him for too long, but all the times she had seen him were in carefree and rather cheerful situations. Now though, he took on the look of a stealthy and intelligent agent. _Team Rocket's training?_ Hun wondered if that was her future.

"If you want to talk about what I think you want to talk about, then I think we should go somewhere more... private." Marcel began walking towards the stair corridor, and Hun followed.

The library had three floors, but only the first and second were opened to students. The third was for professors and faculty only, emphasized by the bright red sign hung on the wall. Yet Hun had only ever been in the first floor. The second floor was like another world to her as she stepped out the corridor and was met with more books.

Marcel, however, had clearly been up there before. He moved expertly through the various book aisles, maneuvering past people without a second glance. Finally, he slid into an aisle that for Hun seemed to have been randomly chosen, but knew that couldn't be the case. Not when it came to Marcel.

The raven moved a stepping stool closer to them before _plopping_ himself down onto it. He gestured at Hun to sit, and she gingerly lowered herself onto the gray carpeted floor. So much for thinking of him as a gentleman.

"Well! Now that we're here, tell me what you want to know."

Hun looked up sharply, suddenly remembering why she had skipped a class (again) just to see Marcel. "Yes, I want to know more about Team Rocket." She looked around, and after being satisfied of no stragglers listening in on their confidential conversation, added, "And about the academy."

"Right." Marcel stared at her, and Hun found herself feeling dumbfounded. "I thought I told you to read through everything in the envelope."

"I did," she retorted, but quickly calmed her voice again. "I just–I just need help with some things." _Damn, she was stuttering now_.

"Like what?"

Hun paused. It suddenly occurred to her how much trust she had in this random person. Marcel didn't know who she was any more than she knew who _he_ was. And yet here she was, about to divulge more information than she should.

 _But then again, he seems nice enough_. If Marcel had had any less than hale and hearty intentions, he would have acted on them sooner. Not to mention the several different ways he could have easily duped her.

Hun cleared her throat. "I want to go to the academy as soon as I can, but I don't know how. I'm already a student here."

Marcel nodded. "I understand. Normally people would join in the summer, but it's not too late for you. Villains-in-training are always being trained and graduated though."

"Villains-in-training?" Hun repeated. The name sounded… ridiculous, for lack of a better word, but she tried not to think of it as such in her mind. She might soon be a villain-in-training herself. Still, it didn't make the name any more appealing.

"Villains-in-training," he repeated. "Villains that… are in training…"

"You don't say," Hun quipped. "Well look. I can't just leave my studies. I want to go to the academy but I don't want to just up and leave my old life behind."

Marcel leaned forward, his dark eyes gleaming with a sinister look that Hun had never noticed until now. He stayed quiet for a moment, looking into her eyes, possibly looking into her very _soul_. He leaned back, smirking. "How serious are you about this?"

"Pretty serious," the light-haired woman replied. "If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here, now would I?"

"Perhaps not." He shrugged. "But I don't really care. If you're not serious, it'll show up sooner or later. We'll just have to wait and see." He stood up, stretching his arms over his head. All sense of stealthiness and carefulness disappeared. "But let's move on to your actual dilemma now."

Hun sighed. "I've been doing some research myself. And it seems like the most logical choice is to just leave my home. I'm not working now, so I won't be leaving much to my family in terms of money, but then they also won't be worrying about spending anymore on me. One less mouth to feed, the way I see it."

"Indeed, that seems like the most simple way to go about it." Marcel nodded, and sat back down onto his stool. "So let's plan your getaway!"

"Wha–" Hun stumbled on her words. "My… getaway? I'm not planning a _crime_."

"But you are planning to leave, and I assume without telling your parents."

"Well yes… I mean no, I don't want to get my family involved."

"Then let's do some planning!" Marcel opened his bookbag with a loud _crunch_ , the zipper catching and chewing on some of the messy papers inside. He pulled out a spiral white notebook, its cover sporting numerous pencil marks and pen stains.

Once again, Hun wondered what she was doing. One minute she was unsure about herself, the next, she was planning some sort of runaway escapee plan with a guy she just met. Hun liked knowing where things were heading to, and she did her research adamantly about anything that caught her interest, so not knowing what this future held for her was worrisome.

She forced herself to return to whatever Marcel was now rambling about. In all honesty, he sounded more excited for her than she did herself.

"Do you have a suitcase?" He suddenly asked, looking up from the writing he had started on a blank sheet of paper.

"No I don't," Hun replied. "I never had any need for one."

"Alright." The raven jotted something down. "How about money? Any savings?"

Hun was quickly on alert. She wasn't rich, but she certainly didn't plan on telling this stranger her personal details (even if they _were_ busy having secret conversations in the back aisle of the campus library). "I don't have much."

"Alright." Marcel repeated absentmindedly, jotting something down once again. "What time would be best for you to leave? Including the day of the week and/or month."

"Is this 20 questions or something?" Hun snapped. Her patience was starting to dwindle down _fast_.

"It's to help you leave in an organized manner," Marcel retorted. "You asked for my help. Well, now you're getting it. Or do you not want it anymore?"

Hun was many things, but ungrateful wasn't one of them. "Yes, of course. I did ask. I'm just still unsure about all of this."

"You still have time to think about it." Marcel sobered as quickly as his temper had risen. "But you haven't answered my question yet."

"I suppose any day is good. And as for the time…" Hun paused. "I think during classes would be best. You know, instead of going to class, I'll just leave. It'll be less suspicious."

"Sounds reasonable." Marcel wrote one last thing, then closed his notebook. "Let's meet again tomorrow if you can. I only have one class, so we can go to the cafeteria and grab a bite to eat."

"I thought this had to stay on the down-low?" Hun raised an eyebrow quizzingly. "Won't there be a lot of people potentially listening in to us?"

"We won't mention Team Rocket. And even if they listen to us, don't worry. I'll make it sound perfectly natural." The raven winked.

She tried to ignore him, although she couldn't ignore the thought of ' _a lunch date with an attractive young man'_.

If she didn't get much out of Team Rocket, then she at least got the chance to spend some time with someone like Marcel.

•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•

That night, Hun laid wide awake in her bed. She had managed to push any thoughts of Marcel and their previous planning until nighttime, when the memories came pouring back into her mind while she was brushing her teeth.

The thought of running away had never once occurred to her in her 19 years of life. When she was a child, she often joked about it.

 _I'm gonna run away 'cause my mom grounded me!_

 _I want to go out and explore the world!_

 _I wanna run away so I can be my own boss and not live under someone else's rules!_

Such thoughts had always amused Hun, but only now that she was much older, did she fully see just how childish they really were. She had never been a rebel, never had had a rebeling phase, but now she found herself toying with the idea of leaving her family. Of planning an escape.

Hun sighed loudly and tossed the covers off of her. Just laying around wasn't getting her anywhere (as usual), but maybe pacing around might help her clear her mind and and calm her nerves. Sitting up, she looked around her room, and imagined what it would be like without her.

Her room reflected her personality. It was clean, organized, and neat as a pin. Her bed laid just in front of a window, the warm sunlight helping to wake her up every morning without fail. A cream colored bookcase stood next to her computer. Both had been bought to compliment her room's dark blue walls. A few posters of Johto landmarks, such as the Bell Tower in Ecruteak, the lighthouse in Olivine, and the Sprout Tower in Violet, aligned the walls. A few other decorations were placed on her studying desk, along with a black cup full of pens and pencils.

Her room was simple, and Hun was content with it.

She made her way to the door, where a whiteboard hung on a protruding nail. A messy calendar had been scribbled onto it, but the days so far remained blank. No events to look forward to, no meetings to attend. Everything was just plain. Hun sighed and quietly opened the door.

The silence and darkness of the hallway met her. Carefully she made her way down the stairs at the end of the hallway and soon found herself in the kitchen. Unlike her room, the kitchen was bright and full of colors, evident even in the darkness of the night. From silver spatulas with neon green handles hanging from the wall to the black and white cow magnet decorating the fridge, all sorts of memories filled the place. Hun remembered trying to bake a cake with Ella when their mother was sick in an attempt to make her feel better, only to narrowly avoid a fire when they had forgotten the batter was inside the oven. Although they had only been young children at the time, it still brought an embarrassment to the oldest sister whenever she remembered.

"What are you doing?"

The voice nearly caused Hun to jump out of her skin. She whirled around, only to be met with her younger sister. "Ella!" She cried. "What are you doing here?"

"Living." The girl shrugged. "I kinda live here too."

"I _know_. What are you doing up?"

"I went to the bathroom. But when I was coming back I peeked into your room and saw that you weren't there. So I came searching for you."

"Thanks, but I'm fine as you can see." Hun walked to the fridge. "I just came for a glass of water. I got really thirsty." She figured spewing a small white lie wouldn't hurt. If anything, it was good practice for when she left.

"Not as thirsty as Trevor is for me, I bet." Ella snickered. "He doesn't know how to take a hint."

"Probably not." Hun poured herself a glass, then offered some to her sister. She was secretly glad when she refused; she wanted to get out of this situation as soon as possible.

"So Hun… Any guys you like?" Another one of Ella's ridiculous questions, except this time someone actually popped into Hun's mind.

Her mind immediately flew to Marcel, and she could feel her face heating up. She took an extra long sip of water, stalling, before answering in the coolest voice she could muster. "Not really. I have other things to worry about."

"I'm sure you do. You've been spacing out a lot lately." Ella lowered herself onto a nearby chair. "I'm worried about you."

"I said I'm fine. Worry about your own problems. Like the ones with Trevor." Hun shot her a smile before placing the now empty glass in the sink. "I'm going back to sleep. Night." She hurried out the kitchen, leaving her sister alone.

In all honesty, if anyone had to guess who the runaway would be in their household, the answer would undoubtedly have been Ella. But as it was turning out, the calm and serious Hun was the one who would be stepping out soon.

Upon returning to her room, she managed to fall asleep without any more problems invading her mind again.

•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•

"Alright, listen up. Here's the plan."

Marcel spoke softly, but he was leaning in as close as possible so Hun could hear him. The cafeteria ambience was loud and crowded, and she was starting to feel claustrophobic. Normally this wouldn't bother her, but being this close and secretive was starting to take its toll on her.

The raven continued talking though. "Here." He slipped a piece of paper to Hun, which she almost instantly recognized as the paper he had been writing on the day before in the library. "I wrote everything you might need on there. When you're packing, try to include everything on that list."

She nodded, and slid it in her notebook. She had already made a mental list of a few things, but it couldn't hurt to get an actual solid one. "Thanks."

"With that done, have you decided when you'll be leaving exactly?"

"I was thinking…" A pause. "...Friday. As soon as I come on campus. I'll take a bus to Olivine City, then ferry across to Kanto. I guess I'll take a taxi when I arrive in Vermillion City and get as close as I can to the Academy with little suspicion. Then I'll just walk."

Marcel threw his head back and laughed. "You have it all planned out! I must say, I'm impressed. Then again, I expected nothing less from a girl like you."

Hun gave him an uneasy smile in return. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't feeling nervous though. Everything's happening so differently to what I was expecting."

"Sometimes we must take risks. Lots of time we don't even know what those risks are, but when we see them, we take them. That's our style. The Team Rocket style." Marcel patted her arm. "You're intelligent and a quick learner, so you'll have no trouble. That is something I'm sure of."

Hun felt her face beginning to heat up, so she quickly asked, "So what else is there for me to know?"

"Do you trust me?"

The sudden question caught Hun off guard, but she quickly caught herself. "As much as a person who just met a stranger can."

"Fair enough. Let me rephrase it then." The raven sipped on his soda for a moment before settling it back down and smiling at the female. "I was actually thinking… I have some connections in Team Rocket, as you can imagine. So how about this?" He reached inside his bag and pulled out a large folded black knapsack. He pushed it towards Hun. "Take this. On the day that you're leaving, put in your clothes and other essentials inside.

"Then, come to campus and bring that with you. We'll go shopping for a suitcase at a store where a friend of mine works. She can give you a nice discount. We'll also shop for anything else you might need and then leave for Kanto. Once there, I'll take you directly to the Academy using my connections." Marcel leaned back in his chair, eyeing Hun. "Well? How does that sound?"

For a moment she didn't know what to say. The situation was now becoming more real to her, and she found herself still unsure of so many things. But she refused to back down. "I wouldn't want you to miss classes for me. I can handle the trip myself, so don't worry."

"I can afford to miss a day of classes. My attendance has been perfect so far, and I've finished most of my work already." His look of pride returned. "And as fellow Team Rocket agents, we should look out for one another."

"I'm not an agent yet," Hun pointed out softly.

"But you will be soon." A fleeting moment of silence passed between them. And Marcel smiled, a gentle smile that Hun was beginning to associate with him. It comforted her and made her feel more confident of herself, despite the horde of butterflies in her stomach. "I'll help you every step of the way. So that way, _you_ don't worry."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it." Hun looked out the cafeteria window. The entire time she had been at Goldenrod University, she had always found each sight to be stale. Same old same old, basically. But now, they were starting to take on some meaning for her.

Without this university, she would have never met Marcel. She would have never been introduced to Team Rocket, and she would have never began on this path.

But now it was time to leave. She had to leave all this behind, and create a new life for herself with its remnants.

Hun knew her future was uncertain, but she knew one thing for sure– Team Rocket was waiting for her.

⊱ ━━━━ **.⋅ εïз ⋅.━━━━ ⊰**

 **Once again, please review and let me know what you think! As usual, I apologize for any mistakes, please let know of any! Thanks so much for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter!**

 **ƹӝʒ**


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